Near Pescadero in San Mateo County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Año Nuevo Island

By Barry Swackhamer, February 17, 2016

1. Año Nuevo Island Marker

Inscription. Año Nuevo Island wasn't always an island! The first Spanish explorers to sail past this place named it Punto Año Nuevo or New Year's Point. The long jutting point has eroded since the 1600s. It is now an island separated from the mainland by a rough and dangerous channel.

Historic Lighthouse Station

Lighthouse stations were essential for protecting life and property along treacherous coastlines.
The run-down buildings you see are the last remains of the lighthouse station. Living quarters for two families were built with picket fences around the yards to keep out the seals. A rain water basin, cistern, and tank supplied fresh water The families lived on the island year round.
After protecting the coast for 76 years, the station was decommissioned in 1948 when the lighthouse's functions were automated offshore. Seals, sea lions, and birds quickly took over the place. The weather-beaten structures, as well as the island and its wildlife, are protected as a part of the Reserve.

Erected by Año Nuevo Interpretive Association.

Location. 37° 7.136′ N, 122° 18.441′ W. Marker is near Pescadero, California, in San Mateo County. Marker can be reached from Año Nuevo

By Barry Swackhamer, February 17, 2016

2. Año Nuevo Island Marker

Año Nuevo Island is in the distance.

State Park Road near Cabrillo Highway (State Route 1), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pescadero CA 94060, United States of America.

More about this marker. This marker is opposite the Año Nuevo State Park Marine Education Center.

Also see . . . Año Nuevo Lighthouse - LighthouseFriends.com. Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino departed Acapulco in January 1602 to explore the California coast. Vizcaino’s three ships sailed past the coast just north of Monterey Bay a year later, and Father Antonio de la Ascension, the diarist and chaplain of the expedition, named one landmark Punta de Año Nuevo (New Year’s Point), for the day on which it was sighted...Before an appropriation

Wikipedia, circa 2005

3. Año Nuevo Island Lighthouse

for a first-order light on Año Nuevo Island was made in 1868, the Carrier Pigeon was lost in 1853, followed by the Sir John Franklin in 1865, and the Coya in 1866. Año Nuevo island had been reserved for light-house purposes by the President of the United States, but the owners of the surrounding rancho still claimed title to the island. After some difficulty, the government finally purchased Año Nuevo Island and land on Pigeon Point for $10,000 in 1870.(Submitted on February 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on February 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California. This page has been viewed 164 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California.